Feehan_ Christine - Magic Sisters 02 - The Twilight Before Christmas

Contents Dedication Acknowledgments The Twilight Before Christmas Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Epilogue Christine Feehan Critics Praise Christine Feehan Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html“A magnificent storyteller”(Romantic Times) DARKSYMPHONY “Feehan’s followers will be well sated by the latest addition to her dark series…laced with romance and erotica…unconventional and intriguing.” —Publishers Weekly A VERYGOTHICCHRISTMAS “[A] captivating story…. Christine feehan has written a gothic novella that is not only a page-turner but is highly recommended!” —Romantic TimesMagazine, on “After the Music” “A modern day gothic tale that will thrill you and chill you…plenty of sexual tension and wild romance to heat the blood as well.” —The Belles and Beaux of Romance,on “After the Music” DARKGUARDIAN “A skillful blend of supernatural thrills and romance that is sure to entice readers.” —Publishers Weekly DARKLEGEND “Vampire romance at its best!” —Romantic Times DARKFIRE “If you are looking for something that is fun and different, pick up a copy of this book.” —All About Romance LAIR OF THELION “Feehan adds a gothic twist to a classic fairy tale in this eerie and engrossing nineteenth century romance…steamy sex scenes heat up the page. Feehan’s inspired retelling is likely to garner her the attention she deserves.” —Publishers Weekly DARKCHALLENGE “The exciting and multifaceted world that impressive author Christine Feehan has created continues to improve with age.” Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html—Romantic Times DARKMAGIC “With each book Ms. Feehan continues to build a complex society that makes for mesmerizing reading.” —Romantic Times THESCARLETTICURSE “The characters and twists in this book held me on the edge of my seat the whole time I read it. If you’ve enjoyed Ms. Feehan’s previous novels, you will surely be captivated by this step into the world of gothic romance.” —Under the Covers Book Reviews DARKGOLD “Imbued with passion, danger, and supernatural thrills.” —Romantic Times DARKDESIRE “A very well-written, entertaining story that I highly recommend.” —Under the Covers Book Reviews DARKPRINCE “For lovers of vampire novels, this one is a keeper…I had a hard time putting the book down…don’t miss this book!” —New-Age Bookshelf Books by Christine Feehan A Very Gothic Christmas (with Melanie George) Published by Pocket Books Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlThis book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. AnOriginal Publication of POCKET BOOKS A Pocket Star Book published by POCKET BOOKS, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020 Copyright © 2003 by Christine Feehan All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Pocket Books, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020 ISBN: 0-7434-8027-9 Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlPOCKET STAR BOOKS and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc. Visit us on the World Wide Web: http://www.SimonSays.com Dedication This book is dedicated to my sister Lisa, who has a special magic all her own. Acknowledgments Thank you to Heather King and Rose Brungard for the wonderful chilling Christmas poem they so graciously provided to me to use for this book! Be sure to write to Christine at Christine@christinefeehan.comto get a FREE exclusive screen saver and join the PRIVATE email list to receive an announcement when Christine’s books are released. The Twilight Before Chrismas by Heather King and Rose Brungard ’Twas the twilight before Christmas and all through the lands, Not a thing has occurred that was not of my hand. The snowglobe they hold has a secret inside, Where the mist rolls in place of the snow that’s outside. A chill, colder still than the air they will feel, As I rejoice in release as I slip past the seal A wreath of holly meant to greet, Looks much better tossed in the street. A town dreams of sweet thoughts while nestled in bed, Until nightmares of me begin to dance in their heads. The time, it was right, for a present or two, Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlAnd the fog on the sand holds a secret, a clue As lovers meet beneath mistletoe bright, Terror ignites down below them this night And the blood runs red on the pristine white snow… While around all the houses the Christmas lights glow. A star burns hot in the dead of the night, As the bell tolls it’s now midnight Beneath the star, that shines so bright, An act unfolds, to my delight In the stocking hung with gentle care, A mystery, I know, is hidden there. A candle burns with an eerie glow, As it melts, the wax does flow, My last gift now, is a special one, A candy cane for a special son, He watches and tends and knows the land, But not enough to evade my hand. All deeds are now done, forgiveness is mine, As two people share a love for all time. Chapter 1 ’Twas the twilight before Christmas and all through the lands Not a thing has occurred that was not of my hand “DON’T SAY IT.DON’T SAY IT.DON’T SAY IT,”Danny Granite muttered the mantra under his breath as he sat in the truck watching his older brother carefully selecting hydro-organic tomatoes from Old Man Mars’s fruit stand. Danny glanced at the keys, assuring himself the truck was running and all that his brother had to do was leap in and gun it. He leaned out the window, gave a halfhearted wave to Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlthe elderly man, and scowled at his brother. “Get a move on, Matt. I’m starving here.” Matt grimaced at him, then smiled with smooth charm at the old man. “Merry Christmas, Mr. Mars,” he said cheerfully as he handed over several bills and lifted the bag of tomatoes. “Less than two weeks before Christmas. I’m looking forward to the pageant this year.” Danny groaned. A black scowl settled over Old Man Mars’s face. His craggy brows drew together in a straight, thick line. He grunted in disgust and spat on the ground. The smile on Matt’s face widened into a boyish grin as he hurried around the bed of the pickup truck to yank open the driver-side door. Almost before settling into his seat, he cranked up the radio so that “Jingle Bells” blared loudly from the speakers. “You’d better move it, Matt,” Dan muttered nervously, looking out the window, back toward the fruit stand. “He’s arming himself. You just had to wish him a Merry Christmas, didn’t you? You know he hates that pageant. And you know very well playing that music is adding insult to injury!” The first tomato came hurtling toward the back window of the truck as Matt hit the gas and the truck leaped forward, fishtailing, tires throwing dirt into the air. The tomato landed with deadly accuracy, splattering juice, seed, and pulp across the back window. Several more missiles hit the tailgate as the truck tore out of the parking lot and raced down the street. Danny scowled at his brother. “You just had to wish him Merry Christmas. Everyone knows he hates Christmas. He kicked the shepherd last year during the midnight pageant. Now he’ll be more ornery than ever. If you’d just avoided the word, we might have gone unscathed this year, but now he’ll have to retaliate.” Matt’s massive shoulders shook as he laughed. “As I recall you played the shepherd last year. He didn’t hurt you that bad, Danny boy. A little kick on the shin is good for you. It builds character.” “You only think it’s funny because it wasn’t your shin.” Danny rubbed his leg as if it still hurt nearly a year later. “You need to toughen up,” Matt pointed out. He took the highway, a thin ribbon of a road, twisting and turning along the cliffs above the ocean. It was impossible to go fast on the switchbacks although Matt knew the road well. He maneuvered around a sharp curve, setting up for the next sharp turn. It ran uphill and nearly doubled back. The mountain swelled on his right, a high bank grown over with emerald green grasses and breathtaking colors from the explosion of wildflowers. On his left, a narrow ribbon of a trail meandered along the cliffs to drop away to the wide expanse of blue ocean with its whitecaps and booming waves. “Oh, my God! That’s Kate Drake,” Danny said gleefully, pointing to a woman on a horse, riding along the narrow trail on the side of the road. “That can’t be her.” Matt hastily rolled down his window and craned his neck, gawking unashamedly. He could only see the back of the rider, who was dressed all in white and had thick chestnut hair that flamed red in the sunshine. His heart pounded. His mouth went dry. Only Kate Drake could get away with wearing white and riding a horse so close to the side of the road. It had to be her. He slowed the truck to get a better look as he went by, turning down the radio at the same time. “Matt! Watch where you’re going,” Danny yelled, bracing himself as the truck flew off the road and Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlrolled straight into the grass-covered bank. It halted abruptly. Both men were slammed back in their seats and held prisoner by their seat belts. “Damn!” Matt roared. He turned to his brother. “Are you all right?” “No, I’m not all right, you big lug, you ran us off the road gawking at Kate Drake again. I hurt everywhere. I need a neck brace, and I think I might have broken my little finger.” Danny held up his hand, gripping his wrist and emitting groans loudly. “Oh shut up,” Matt said rudely. “Matthew Granite. Good heavens, are you hurt? I have a cell phone and can go out to the bluff and call for help.” Kate’s voice was everything he remembered. Soft. Melodic. Meant for long nights and satin sheets. Matt turned his head to look at her. To drink her in. It had been four long years since he’d last spoken with her. She stood beside his truck, reins looped in her hand, her large green eyes anxious. He couldn’t help but notice she had the most beautiful skin. Flawless. Perfect. It looked so soft, he wanted to stroke his finger down her cheek just to see if she was real. “I’m fine, Kate.” It was a miracle he found his voice. His tongue seemed to stick to the roof of his mouth. “I must have tried to take the turn a little too fast.” A snort of derision came from Danny’s side of the truck. “You were driving like a turtle. You just weren’t looking where you were going.” The toe of Matt’s boot landed solidly against his brother’s shin, and Danny let out a hair-raising yowl. “No wonder Old Man Mars wanted to kick you last year,” Matt muttered under his breath. “Daniel? Are you hurt?” Kate sounded anxious, but her fascinating lower lip quivered as if close to laughter. Determined to get her away from his brother, Matt hastily shoved the door open with more force than necessary. The door thumped soundly against Kate’s legs. She jumped back, the horse half reared, and Danny, damn him, laughed like the hyena he was. Matt groaned. It never failed. He was a decorated U.S. Army Ranger, had been in the service for years, running covert missions where his life depended on his physical skills and his cool demeanor, yet he always managed to feel clumsy and rough in front of Kate. He unfolded his large frame, towering over her, feeling like a giant. Kate was always perfect. Poised. Articulate. Graceful. There she was, looking beautiful dressed all in white with her hair attractively windblown. She was the only person in the world who could make him lose his cool and raise his temperature at the same time just by smiling. “Is Danny really hurt?” Kate asked, turning her head slightly while she tried to calm the nervous horse. It gave Matt a great view of her figure. He drank her in, his hungry gaze drifting over her soft curves. He’d always loved watching her walk away from him. Nobody moved in the same sexy way she did. She looked so proper, yet she had that come-on walk and the bedroom eyes and glorious hair a man would want to feel sliding over his skin all night long. He just managed to stifle a groan. How had he not known,sensed that Kate was back in town. His radar must be failing him. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html“Danny’s fine, Kate,” Matt assured her. She sent him a quick smile over her shoulder, her eyes sparkling at him. “Just how many accidents have you been in, Matt? It seems that on the rare occasions I’ve seen you, over the last few years, your poor vehicle has been crunched.” It was true, but it was her fault. Kate Drake acted as some sort of catalyst for strange behavior. He was good at everything.Everything. Unless Kate was around—then he could barely manage to speak properly. The horse moved restlessly, demanding Kate’s immediate attention, giving Matt time to realize his jeans and blue chambray work shirt were streaked with dirt, sawdust, and a powdery cement mixture in complete contrast to her immaculate white attire. He took the opportunity to slap the dust from his clothing, sending up a gray cloud that enveloped Kate as she turned back toward him. She coughed delicately, fluttering her long feathery lashes to keep the dust from stinging her eyes. Another derisive hoot came from Danny’s direction. Matt sent his brother a look that promised instant death before turning back to Kate. “I had no idea you were in town. The town gossips let me down.” Inez at the grocery store had mentioned Sarah was in town, as well as Hannah and Abigail, three of her six sisters, but Inez hadn’t said a word about Kate. “Sarah came back for a visit, and you know how my family is, we get together as often as possible.” She shrugged, a simple enough gesture, but on her it was damned sexy. “I’ve been in London doing research for my latest thriller.” She laughed softly. The sound played right down his spine and did interesting things to his body. “London fog is always so perfect for a scary setting. Before that it was Borneo.” Kate traveled the world, researching and writing her bestselling novels and murder mysteries. She was so beautiful it hurt to look at her, so sophisticated he felt primitive in her presence. She was so sexy he always had the desire to turn caveman and toss her over his shoulder and carry her off to his private lair. “Sarah’s engaged to Damon Wilder.” She tilted her head slightly and patted the horse’s neck again. “Have you met him?” “No, but everyone is talking about it. No one expected Sarah to get married.” Matt watched the way the sunlight kissed her hair, turning the silky strands into a blazing mass of temptation. His gaze followed her hand stroking the horse’s neck, and he noted the absence of a ring with relief. Danny cleared his throat. He leaned out the driver’s side. “You’re drooling, bro.” He whispered it in an over-loud voice. Without missing a beat, Matt kicked the door closed. “Are you going to be staying very long this visit?” He held his breath waiting for her answer. To make matters worse, Danny snickered. Matt sent up a silent vow that their parents would have one less child to fuss over before the day was out. “I’ve actually decided to stay and make Sea Haven my home base. I bought the old mill up on the cliffs above Sea Lion Cove. I’m planning on renovating the mill into a bookstore and coffee shop, and to modernize the house so I can live in it. I’m tired of wandering. I’m ready to come home again.” Kate smiled. She had perfect teeth to go with her perfect skin. Matt found himself staring at her while the earth shook beneath his feet. He stood there, grinning at the thought of Kate living in their hometown Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlpermanently. A shadow swept across the sky, black threads swirling and boiling, a dark cauldron of clouds blotting out the sun. A seagull shrieked once. Then the entire flock of birds overhead took up the warning cry. Matt was so caught up in Kate’s smile, he didn’t realize the ground was really rolling, and it wasn’t just her amazing effect on him. The horse backed dangerously close to the road, tossing its head in fright, nearly dragging Kate from her feet. Matt swiftly reached past her and gathered the reins in one hand to steady the animal. He swept his other arm around Kate’s waist, anchoring her smaller body to his, to keep her from falling as a jagged crack opened several feet from them and spread rapidly along the ground, heading right for Kate’s feet. Matt lifted her up and away from the gaping hole, dragging her back several feet, horse in tow, away from the spreading crack. It was only a few inches wide, but it was several inches deep, very long, and ran up the side of the embankment. “You all right, Danny?” he called to his brother. “Yeah, I’m fine. That was a big one.” Kate clung to Matt, her small hands clutching at his shoulders. He heard the sharp intake of her breath that belied her calm demeanor, but she didn’t cry out. The ground settled, and Matt allowed her feet to touch the path but retained his hold on her. She was incredibly warm and soft and smelled of fresh flowers. He leaned over her, inhaling her fragrance, his chin brushing the top of her head. “You okay, Kate?” Appearing as serene as ever, Kate murmured soothingly to the horse. Nothing ruffled her. Not earthquakes and certainly not Matthew Granite. “Yes, of course, it was just a little earthquake.” She glanced up at the boiling clouds with a small frown of puzzlement. “It was a fairly good one. And the ground opened damn near at your feet.” Kate continued to pat the horse’s neck, seemingly unaware that Matt was still holding her, caging her body between his and the animal. He could see her hands tremble as she struggled to maintain composure, and it made him admire her all the more. She lifted her face to the wind. “I love the sea breeze. The minute I feel it on my face, I feel as if I’m home.” Matt cleared his throat. Kate had a beautiful profile. Her hair was swept up in some fancy knot, showing off her long, graceful neck. When she turned, her breasts thrust against the thin shirt, full and round and so enticing it was all he could do to keep from leaning down and putting his mouth over the clinging white fabric. He tried to move, to step away from her, but he was drawn to her. Mesmerized by her. She’d always reminded him of a ballerina, with her elegant lines and soft, feminine curves. His lungs burned for air, and there was a strange roaring in his head. It took three tries opening his mouth before a coherent word came out. “If you’re really serious about renovation, Kate, it just so happens my family’s in the construction business.” She turned the full power of her huge eyes on him. “I do recall all of you are builders. That’s always struck me as a wonderful occupation.” She reached out and took his hands. He had big hands, rough and callused, whereas her hands were soft and small. “I always loved your hands, Matthew. When I was a young girl I remember wishing I had your capable hands.” Her words, as much as her touch, sent little flames licking along his skin. Matt was certain he heard a snort and probably a snicker coming from the direction of his younger brother. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html“I think you’ve held on to her long enough, bro,” Danny called. “The ground stopped pitching a few minutes ago.” Matt was too much of a gentleman to point out to his brother that Kate was holdinghis hands. Looking down at her, he saw faint color steal under her skin. Reluctantly, he stepped away from her. The wind tugged at tendrils of her hair, but it only made her look more alluring. “Sorry, Kate. This is the first time in a while we’ve had an earthquake shake us up so hard.” He raked his fingers through his dark hair in agitation, searching for something brilliant to say to keep her there. His mind was blank. Totally blank. Kate turned back to her horse. He began to feel desperate. He was a grown man, hardworking, some said brilliant when it came to designing, and most women quite frankly threw themselves at him, but Kate calmly gathered the reins of her horse, no weak knees, completely unaffected by his presence. He wiped the sweat suddenly beading on his forehead, leaving a smear of dirt behind. “Kate.” It came out softly. Danny stuck his head out the window on the driver’s side. “Do you want a little help with the old mill, Kate? Matt actually is fairly decent at that sort of thing. He obviously can’t drive, and he can’t talk, but he’s hell on wheels with renovations.” Kate’s eyes lit up. “I would love that, Matthew, but I really wouldn’t want to presume on our friendship. It would have to be a business arrangement.” Matt hadn’t realized she thought of them as friends. Kate rarely spoke to him, other than their strange, brief conversations when they’d run into one another by chance during her high school years. He liked the idea of being friends with her. Every cell in his body went on alert when she was near him, it always happened that way, even when she’d been a teenager and he’d been in his first years of college. Kate had always brought out his protective instincts, but mostly he’d felt he had to protect her from his own attraction to her. That had been distasteful to a man like Matt. He had taken his secret fantasies of her to every foreign country he’d been sent to. She had shared his days and nights in the jungles and deserts, in the worst of situations, and the memory of her had gotten him home. Now, a full-grown man who had fought wars and had more than enough life experience to give him confidence, he found he could speak easily and naturally to any other woman. Only Kate made him tongue-tied. He’d take friendship with her. At least it was a start. “Tell me when you want me to take a look, Kate, and I’ll arrange my schedule accordingly. Being my own boss has its advantages.” “Then I’m going to take advantage of your generous offer and ask if you could go out there with me tomorrow afternoon. Do you think you can manage it that soon? I wouldn’t ask, but I’m trying to get this project off the ground as soon as possible.” “It sounds great. I’ll pick you up at the cliff house around four. You are staying there with your sisters, aren’t you?” Kate nodded and turned to watch the sheriff cruise up behind the pickup truck. Matt watched her face, mainly because he couldn’t tear his gaze away from her. Her smile was gracious, friendly even, but he was aware even before he turned his head that the man getting out of the sheriff’s cruiser was Jonas Harrington. It occurred to him that he knew Kate far too well, her every expression. And that meant he had spent too much time watching her. Kate was smiling, but she had stiffened just that little bit. She always did that around Jonas. All of her sisters did. For the first time he wondered why Kate reacted that way. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html“Well, Kate, I see you caused another accident,” Jonas said in greeting. He shook Matt’s hand and clapped him on the back. “The Drake sisters have a tendency to wreak havoc everywhere they go.” He winked at Matt. Kate simply lifted an eyebrow. “You’ve been saying that since we were children.” Jonas leaned over to brush a casual kiss along Kate’s cheek. Something black and lethal, whose existence Matt didn’t want to recognize, moved inside of him like a dark shadow. He put a blatantly possessive hand on Kate’s back. Jonas ignored Matt’s body language. “I’ll still be making the same accusation when you’re all in your eighties, Kate. Where is everyone?” He looked around as if expecting her sisters to appear galloping over the mountaintop. “You look a little nervous, Jonas,” Danny observed from the safety of the truck. “What’d you do this time? Arrest Hannah and throw her beautiful butt in jail on some trumped-up charge?” He subsided when Kate turned the full power of her gaze on him. The wind rushed up from the sea, bringing the scent and feel of the ocean. “I had no idea you were so interested in my sister’s anatomy, Danny.” “Come on, Kate, she’s gorgeous; every man’s interested in Hannah’s anatomy,” Danny pointed out, unrepentant. “And if she doesn’t want them to look, what is she doing allowing every photographer from here to hell and back to take pictures of her?” Jonas demanded. “And just for your information, I wouldn’t have to trump up charges if I wanted to arrest Hannah,” he added with a black scowl. “I ought to run her in for indecent exposure. That glitzy magazine in Inez’s store has her on the cover…naked!” “She is not naked. She’s wearing a swimsuit, Jonas, with a sarong over it.” Kate sounded as calm as ever, but Matt noted that her hand tightened on the reins of her horse until her knuckles turned white. He moved even closer to her, inserting himself between her and the sheriff. “She might try a decent one-piece and maybe a robe that went down to her ankles or something. And does she have to strike that stupid pose just to make everyone stare…” Jonas broke off as the wind gusted again, howling this time, bringing whispers in the swirling chaos of leaves and droplets of seawater. His hat was swept from his head and carried away from the group. The wind shifted direction, rushing back to the ocean, retreating in much the same manner as a wave from the shore. The sudden breeze took the hat with it, sailing it over the cliffs and into the choppy water below. Jonas spun around and looked toward the large house set up on the cliffs in the distance. “Damn it, Hannah. That’s the third hat I’ve lost since you’ve been home.” He shouted the words into the vortex of the wind. There was a small silence. Matt cleared his throat. “Jonas. I don’t think she can hear you from here.” Jonas glared at him. “She can hear me. Can’t she, Kate? She knows exactly what I’m saying. You tell her this isn’t funny anymore. She can stop with her little wind games.” “You believe all the things people say about the Drake sisters, don’t you, Jonas?” Danny said. He imitated the opening theme ofThe Twilight Zone. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlMatt stared down at Kate’s hand. The reins were trembling. He covered her hand with his own, steadying the leather reins she was clenching. “I’ll be happy to come look at the mill tomorrow, Kate. Would you like a leg up?” “Thanks, Matthew. I’d appreciate it.” He didn’t bother with cupping his hands together to assist her into the saddle. He simply lifted her. He was tall and strong, and it was easy to swing her onto the horse. She settled into the saddle as if born there. Elegant. Refined. As close to perfection as any dream he could conjure up and just as far out of reach. “I’ll see you then. Say hello to your sisters for me.” “I’ll do that, Matthew, and you give my best to your parents. It was nice to see you, Danny.” Her cool gaze swept over Jonas. “I’m sure you’ll be by the house, Jonas.” Jonas shrugged. “I take my job seriously, Kate.” Matt watched her ride away, waiting until a curve in the road took her out of sight before turning on the sheriff. “What the hell was that all about?” “You know all seven of the Drake women drive me crazy half the time,” Jonas said. “I’ve told you all the trouble they get up to. You’re always grilling me about them. Well—” he grinned evilly as he indicated the truck—“Isn’t this the third accident you’ve had with Kate in the vicinity? You should know what I mean.” Jonas had grown up with Matt Granite, had gone through school, joined the Army, the Rangers, and fought side by side with him. He knew how Matt felt about Kate. It was no secret. Matt wasn’t very good at hiding his feelings from his family and friends, especially since Jonas had gotten out of the service two years before Matt and Matt had continually interrogated him about Kate’s whereabouts and marital status. Matt had been home three years and he’d been waiting for Kate to come home for good, too. Danny snickered. “You were there back in his college days, Jonas, when he drove Dad’s truck into the creek bed and hung it up on a rock. Wasn’t Kate about three at the time?” Matt took a deep breath. He couldn’t kill his brother in front of the sheriff, even if it was Jonas. The time he had wrecked his father’s truck, driving it without permission, Kate had been about fifteen, far too young for a college man to be looking at her, and he was still embarrassed that his brothers and Jonas had known why he’d wrecked the vehicle. Of course he’d known the Drake sisters, everyone in town knew them, but he’d neverlooked at them. Not in a fascinated, physical, male way. Until he’d seen Kate standing in a creek bed picking blackberries with the sun kissing her hair and her large sea-green eyes looking back at him. The second time he’d wrecked a vehicle had been four years ago. Matt had been home on leave, and he’d been so busy looking at Kate walking on the sidewalk with her sisters, he’d failed to realize he was parked in front of a cement hump and had hung up his mother’s car on it when he’d gone to pull out. Now, ignoring his brother’s jibe, he moved around the truck to inspect the damage. “I think I can get the truck out without a tow.” “I see you upset old man Mars.” Jonas pointed to the tomato smears on the rear window. “You know Matt, he just had to wish the old man a Merry Christmas.” Danny shoved open the door. “He likes to stir the old geezer up right before the pageant. He does it every year. The time Mom made me play the little drummer boy, Mars broke my drumsticks into ten pieces and threw them on the ground Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmland then jumped up and down on them. All my brothers got a kick out of that, but I’ve been traumatized ever since. I have nightmares about being stomped by him.” Jonas laughed. “Mars is a strange old man, but he’s harmless enough. And he gives away most of his produce to the people who need it. He takes it to some of the single moms in town and some of the elderly couples. And I know he feeds the Ruttermyer boy, the one with Down’s syndrome who works at odd jobs for everyone. He persuaded Donna to give the boy a room right next to her gift shop. I know he helps that boy with his bills.” “Yeah, deep down he’s a good man,” Matt agreed. A slow grin spread over his face. “He just hates Christmas.” He nodded toward the other side of the truck, and the other two men went to the front to scrape away the mud and dirt and push until they separated the bumper from the embankment. “I didn’t appreciate you saying anything to Kate about her and her sisters being different, Jonas.” Matt said it in a low voice, but Jonas and he had been friends since they were boys, and Jonas recognized the warning tone. “I’m not going to pretend they’re like everyone else, Matt, not even for you,” Jonas snapped. “The Drakes are special. They have gifts, and they use themselves up for everyone else without a thought for themselves or their own safety. I’m going to watch out for them whether they like or it not. Sarah Drake nearly got herself killed a few weeks ago. Hannah and Kate and Abbey were with her and also might have been killed.” Matt felt the words as a blow somewhere in the vicinity of his gut. His heart did a curious somersaulting dive in his chest. “I heard about Sarah, but I hadn’t heard the others were there. What happened?” “To make a long story short, Wilder had people trail him here. They wanted information only he could give them. He helped design our national defense system, and the government wanted him protected at all costs. With Sarah being from Sea Haven, it was natural enough for the Feds to send her in to guard him. These people had gotten their hands on him once before, killed his assistant right in front of him, and tortured him. That’s why he uses a cane when he walks. They broke into the Drakes’ house, armed to the teeth when he was there, and were ready to kill Wilder and the Drakes to get what they wanted.” The anger in Jonas’s voice deepened. “No one said a word about Kate being in the house at the same time. I knew Sarah was guarding Damon Wilder and that he was a defense expert in some kind of trouble, but…” Matt trailed off as he looked back toward the house on the cliff. It was covered with Christmas lights. Beside it was a tall full Douglas fir tree, completely decorated and flashing lights even before the sun went down. When he looked toward the house he felt a sense of peace. Of rightness. The Drake sisters were the town’s treasures. He looked away from the cliff toward the old mill. It was farther up the road, built over Sea Lion Cove. A strange cloud formation hung over the small inlet and spread slowly toward land. The shape captured his imagination, a yawning black mouth, jaws opening wide, heading straight for them. “All of them were nearly murdered,” Jonas said. His eyes went flat and cold. “The Drakes take on far too much, and everyone just expects them to do it without thinking of the cost to them.” “I never thought of it like that, Jonas. Now that you mention it, I’ve seen them all drained of energy after helping out the way they do.” Matt didn’t take his eyes from the sky. He watched a seagull veer frantically from the path of the slow-moving cloud, braking sharply in midair, wings flapping strongly in agitation. Wisps of fog began to rise from the sea and drift toward shore. “Maybe we all should pay more attention to what’s happening with them,” he murmured softly, more to himself than to the others. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlChapter 2 The snowglobe they hold has a secret inside Where the mists roll in place of the snow that’s outside INHALING THE MINGLED SCENTS OF CINNAMONand pine, Kate wandered into the kitchen of the cliff house. The sound of Christmas music filled the air and blended with the aroma of fresh-baked cookies and the fragrance of richly scented candles. “Is that Joley’s voice?” Kate asked, leaning her hip comfortably against the heavily carved wood cabinet. “When did she make a Christmas collection?” Hannah Drake spun around, teakettle in her hands. Her abundance of blond hair shimmered for a moment in the last rays of sunshine pouring through the bay window. “Kate, I didn’t hear you get out of the shower. I think I was in my own little world. Joley sent the CD as a surprise, although she made a point of saying it was not to go out of the family.” They both laughed affectionately. “Joley and that band of hers. She can sing just about anything from gospel to blues, from rock to rap, but she’s so careful not to let anyone know. I think she likes her bad girl image. Did she mention whether she’s coming home for Christmas? I know she was touring.” Hannah’s face lit up, her smile brilliant. “She’s going to try. I can’t wait to see her. We keep missing each other in our travels.” “I hope she gets here soon. Talking on the phone just isn’t the same as all of us being together.” Kate swept a stray tendril of hair behind her ear. “What about Mom and Dad? Has anyone heard from them? Are they coming here for Christmas?” Hannah shook her head. “Last I heard they sent kisses and hugs and were snuggling together in their little chalet in the Swiss Alps. Libby got in a quick visit with them before she headed out to the Congo. She said she was coming home for Christmas. Mom and Dad promised next year they’d be here with us.” Kate laughed softly as she leaned over to sniff the canister of loose tea. “Mom and Dad are still such love-birds. What are you making?” “I was in the mood for a little lavender, but anything is fine.” Hannah scrutinized Kate closely. “But let’s go with chamomile. Something soothing.” Kate smiled. “You think I need a little soothing?” Hannah nodded as she measured the tea into a small pot. “Tell me.” “I ran into Matthew Granite and his brother Danny.” Kate tried to sound casual, when her entire body was trembling. Only Matt could do that to her. Only Matt moved her. She’d never understood why. “Matthew Granite? I thought that might be him.” Hannah’s huge blue eyes settled on her sister with compassion and interest. “How did he seem?” Kate shrugged her slender shoulders. “Wonderful. Helpful. He offered to look at the old mill for me and Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlhelp with the renovations.” She always enjoyed looking at her younger sister. Hannah wasn’t just beautiful, she was strikingly so, exotically so, with her bone structure, abundance of pale, almost platinum hair, her enormous, heavily lashed eyes, and sultry lips. Beauty radiated from her. Kate had always thought Hannah’s extraordinary beauty came from the inside out. She watched the graceful movements of Hannah’s hands as she went about making tea. “Matt’s always so helpful.” She sighed. Hannah reached out to her, clasping Kate’s hands in a gesture of solidarity. “Was it the same?” “You mean with his brothers laughing all the time? Well, only one was with him, Danny.” Color crept up under Kate’s skin. “Yes, of course. Every time I get anywhere near the Granites they all laugh. I have no idea why. It isn’t the same way Jonas is with you. Matthew never needles me. He’s always perfectly polite, but I seem to have some humorous effect on his family. I try as hard as I can just to be polite and calm, but the brothers laugh until I want to go check a mirror to see if I have spinach in my teeth. Matthew just glares at them, but it really draws attention to all the silly things I do in front of him.” She squeezed Hannah’s fingers before letting her hand go. “I’ve showered and changed, but I came home with my clothes covered with dirt. Poor Matthew just came from work, was dusting himself off, and I had to be two steps behind him. When he tried to open his truck door, of course I managed to get too close.” “Oh, Katie, honey, I’m so sorry. What happened?” Hannah’s face mirrored her sister’s distress. Kate shrugged. “The door nearly knocked me over, and he had to apologize yet again. The poor man spends every minute apologizing to me. I’ll bet he wishes he never had to see me again.” “No he doesn’t,” Hannah said firmly. “I think he’s always been sweet on you.” Kate sighed. “You and I both know Matthew Granite would never look at me twice. He’s wild and rough and an adrenaline junkie. He played every sport in high school and college. He joined the Rangers. I researched what they do. Even their creed is a bit frightening. They arrive at the ‘cutting edge of battle’ and they never fail their comrades and give more than one hundred percent. The creed says things like fight on even if you’re the lone survivor, andsurrender is not a Ranger word.” She shuddered delicately. “He’s a wild man, and he does very scary wild things. He’s going to look at women who climb mountains and scoff in the face of danger. Can you see me doing that?” “Kate,” Hannah said softly, “maybe he’s more settled now. He went out and did his save the world thing and now he’s come home and he’s working the family business. He could have changed.” Kate forced a fleeting smile. “Men like Matthew don’t change, Hannah. I was telling you my tale of woe. We were just at the point where Jonas drove up. You know how he has to make his little ‘Drake sisters’ comments. He implied every time I was around something awful happened. It just made the situation worse.” She sighed again. “I tried to look as though it didn’t bother me, but I think Matthew knew.” “Jonas Harrington needs to fall into the ocean and have a nice hungry shark come swimming by.” Hannah dragged the whistling teakettle from the stove and splashed water into the teapot, a fine fury radiating from her at the thought of Jonas Harrington saying anything to upset Kate. The water boiled in the little china teapot, bubbles roiling and bursting with a steady fury. Steam rose. Kate covered the top of the teapot with her palm, settling the water back down. “You were out on the captain’s walk.” Hannah nodded, unrepentant. “The earthquake bothered me. I felt something rising beneath the earth. I Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlcan’t explain it, Kate, but it frightened me. I was sitting here listening to Joley’s Christmas music, you know how much I love Christmas, then I felt the quake. Almost on the heels of it, something else disturbed the earth. I felt it as a darkness rising upward. I knew you were out riding, so I went out to the walk to make certain you weren’t in trouble.” “And you felt the wind come in off the sea,” Kate said. She leaned her hip against the counter. “I felt it too.” She frowned and drummed her fingers on the tiled counter. “I smelled something, Hannah, something old and bitter in the wind.” “Evil?” Hannah ventured. Kate shook her head slowly. “It wasn’t that exactly. Well,” she hedged, “maybe. I don’t know. What did you think?” Hannah leaned against the brightly tiled sink, her body so graceful the casual movement seemed balletic. “I honestly don’t know, Kate, but it isn’t good. I’ve felt disturbed ever since the earthquake and when I looked at the mosaic, there was a black shadow beneath the ground. I could barely make it out because it seemed to move and not stay in one place.” Kate glanced at the floor in the house’s entryway. Her grandmother, along with her grandmother’s six sisters, had made the mosaic, women of power and magic, seven sisters creating a timeless floor of infinite beauty. To most people it was simply a unique floor, but the Drake sisters could read many things in the ever-changing shadows that ran within it. “How very strange that neither of us knows precisely whether the disturbance is evil.” She shrugged her shoulders and drew in a deep breath filled with cinnamon and pine. “I love the fragrances of Christmas.” She tapped her foot, a small smile hovering on her face. “You’re holding back on me,” Hannah guessed, her voice suddenly teasing. “Something else happened, didn’t it?” “When the earthquake started, Matthew put his arm around me to steady me, and we just stood there, even after it was over.” She grinned at Hannah. “He is so strong. You have no idea. That man is all muscle. It’s a wonder I didn’t end up in a puddle at his feet! But I managed to look cool and serene.” Hannah pretended to swoon. “I wish I could have seen it. Matthew is definitely hot, even if he is a Neanderthal. I must have come up on the captain’s walk just after that, just in time to see the slimy toad of the world arrive in his little sheriff’s car.” She smirked. “Too bad the wind came up, and his precious little hat went sailing out to sea.” “Shame on you, Hannah,” Kate scolded halfheartedly. “Jonas means well. He’s just so used to everyone doing everything he says, and we always seem to be in the middle of any kind of trouble in Sea Haven. You’re beginning to enjoy tormenting him.” “Why shouldn’t I? He’s tormented me for years.” There was so much pain in Hannah’s voice that Kate slipped her arm around her sister’s waist to comfort her. Jonas had known them all since they were children, and he’d never understood Hannah. She’d been an extraordinarily beautiful, very intelligent child, but she’d been so painfully shy outside of her own home, the sisters had had to work their magic just to get her to school every day. Jonas had been certain she was haughty, when in fact, she’d rarely been able to speak in public. “Well, all in all, it was a good day. You managed to lose another hat for Jonas, and I got to be up close and personal with Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlthe hottest man in Sea Haven.” Kate hugged Hannah before pouring herself a cup of tea and walking into the living room with it. Hannah followed her. “Did you get your manuscript mailed off?” Kate nodded. “Murder and mayhem will prevail in a small coastal town. I forgot to put the tea cozy back on the pot, will you do it?” Hannah glanced into the kitchen and lifted her arms. When Kate looked back, the cozy was safely on the teapot. “Thanks, Hannah. I do have to say, Jonas was invaluable to me with the research.” “I know he was, but don’t credit him with doing it to be nice or anything.” Hannah’s large blue eyes reflected her laughter. “He was trying to get on your good side so you’d persuade me to stop messing around with his precious hats.” They both swung around as the front door burst open. Abigail Drake rushed in, a small woman with dark eyes and a wealth of red-gold hair spilling down her back in a thick ponytail. Her face was flushed and her eyes over-bright. The moment she glimpsed her sisters, she burst into tears. “Abbey!” Hannah set her teacup down on the highly polished coffee table. “What is it? You never cry.” “I humiliated myself in front of the entire Christmas pageant committee,” Abigail said miserably. She threw herself into the overstuffed armchair, curled her feet under her, and covered her face with her hands. “I can never face any of them again.” Hannah and Kate rushed to her side, both putting their arms around her. “Don’t cry, Abbey. What happened? Maybe we can fix it. It can’t be that bad.” “It was bad,” Abigail muttered from between her fingers. “I accidentally usedthe voice. I wasn’t paying attention. There was the earthquake, and I was so distracted because I felt something under us, something moving just below the surface seeking a way out. Ifelt it.” Of all the talents gifted to the sisters, Abigail felt hers was the worst. Her voice could be used to extract the truth from people around her. As a child, before she’d learn to control the tone and the wording of her sentences, she’d been very unpopular with her classmates. They would often blurt out the truth of some escapade to their parents or a teacher whenever they were in her presence. Abigail pulled her hands down and stared at them with her sad eyes. “It isn’t an excuse. I’m not a teenager. I know I have to be alert all the time.” Hannah and Kate exchanged a long, fearful look. “We felt the shadow too, Abbey. It was very disconcerting to both of us. What happened at the meeting?” Abbey drew her legs up tighter into her body. “We were all discussing the Christmas pageant.” She rubbed her chin on the top of her knees. “I felt the rift in the earth, a blackness welling up, and the next thing I knew I was asking for the truth.” She clapped her hands over her ears. “I got the truth too. Everyone did. Bruce Harper is having an affair with Mason Fredrickson’s wife. They were all in the room. Bruce and Mason got in a terrible fistfight, and Letty Harper burst into tears and ran out. She’s six months pregnant. Sylvia Fredrickson slapped me across the face and walked out, leaving me standing there with everyone looking at me.” She burst into tears all over again. Kate frowned as she rubbed her sister’s shoulders. She could feel the waves of distress pouring off of Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlAbigail. “It’s all right now, honey. You’re home, and you’re safe.” At once a soothing tranquillity swept into the room, a sense of peace. The wicks on the unlit candles on the mantel leapt to life with bright orange-red flames. Joley’s voice poured into the room, uplifting and melodic, bringing with it a sense of home and Christmas cheer. Kate leaned into her sister. “Abigail, your talent is a tremendous gift, and you have always used it for good. This was a distortion of your talent, not something any of us could have foreseen. Let it go. Just breathe and let it go.” Abbey managed a small smile, the sobs fading at the sound of her sister’s voice. Kate the peacemaker. Most thought she prevented fights and solved problems, but in truth, she had a magic about her, a tranquillity and inner peace she shared with others just by the way she spoke. “I wish I had your gift, Kate,” Abbey said. She pressed her hand to her cheek. “I didn’t mind everyone’s finding out about Sylvia—she likes to think she can get any man—but poor little Letty, pregnant and loving her stupid unfaithful husband so much. That was heartbreaking. And at Christmas too. What possessed me to be so careless? I’m so ashamed of myself.” “What exactly did you say, Abbey?” Kate asked. Abbey looked confused. “Everyone had put in a variety of ideas for acting out the play we do every year and someone asked if they really liked the old script and should we keep it as a tradition or should we modernize it. I think I said, now would be a good time to tell the truth if you want to make any major changes. I meant with the script, not in people’s lives.” She rubbed her temples. “I haven’t made a mistake like that since I was a teenager. I’m so careful to avoid the wordtruth.” She scrubbed her hand over her face a second time, trying to erase the sting of Sylvia’s hand. “You know if I use that word everyone in the immediate vicinity tells the truth about everything.” “It worries me that we all felt the same disturbance,” Kate said. “Hannah saw a dark shadow in the mosaic. You said something you would never have normally said, and a crack opened up nearly at my feet and ran all the way up the embankment.” Hannah gasped. “You didn’t tell me that. Kate, it could have been an attack on you. You’re the most…” She broke off, looking at Abbey. Kate lifted her chin. “I’m the most what?” Hannah shrugged. “You’re the best of us. You don’t have a mean bone in your body. You just don’t, Katie. I’m sorry, I know you hate our saying that, but you don’t even know how to dislike someone. You’re just so…” “Don’tsay perfect,” Kate warned. “I’m not perfect. And I think that’s why Matthew’s brothers always laugh at me. They think I want to be perfect and fall short.” Hannah and Abbey exchanged a long, worried look. “I think we should call the others,” Hannah said. “Sarah will want to know about this. She must have felt the earthquake too. We can ask her if anything strange happened to her. And we should call Joley, Libby, and Elle. Something’s wrong, Kate, I just feel it. It’s as if the earthquake unleashed a malicious force. I’m afraid it could be directed at you.” Kate took a long sip of tea. The taste was as soothing as the aroma. “Go ahead, it can’t hurt to see what the others have to say. I’m not going to worry about it. I didn’t feel a direct threat. I’m not calling Sarah though. She and Damon are probably twined around one another. You can feel the heat right through the telephone line.” Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html“I can go to the captain’s walk and signal her,” Hannah said wickedly. “Their bedroom window faces us, and for some utterly mysterious reason the curtain keeps opening in that particular room.” “Hannah!” Kate tried not to laugh. “You’re impossible.” Hannah did laugh. “And you are perfect whether you want to acknowledge it or not. At least to me.” “And me,” Abigail said. Kate smiled at them. “I’m not all that perfect. I’d like to give Sylvia Fredrickson a piece of mind. She had no right hitting you, Abbey. Even in high school she was nasty.” “I’ll take care of Sylvia,” Hannah said. “Don’t worry, Abbey. She’ll spend a long time thinking about how stupid it was to hit you.” “Hannah!” Kate and Abbey chorused her name in protest. Hannah burst out laughing. “I get the message, Kate. You’ll talk to Sylvia, but you don’t want me casting in her direction.” Kate grinned. “I should have known you were baiting me.” “Who said I didn’t mean it? Sylvia gives women a bad name.” Kate shook her head. “Hannah Drake, you’re becoming a bloodthirsty little witch. I think Jonas is having a bad influence on you.” She touched Abbey’s cheek gently. “Even for this we can’t use our gifts for anything other than good.” Hannah made a face. “It’s good for Jonas to have to chase his hat. It keeps him from becoming too arrogant and bossy. And who knows what great lesson Sylvia Fredrickson would learn if I tweaked her just a little bit.” Before either sister could say anything, she laughed softly. “I’m not going to do anything horrible to her, I just love to see you both get that ‘there-goes-Hannah-look’ on your faces.” Kate nudged Abbey, ignoring Hannah’s mischievous grin. “Guess what I’ll be doing tomorrow? Matthew Granite agreed to look over the mill with me tomorrow. I’m hoping none of his brothers will be around to laugh at me, and maybe he’ll notice I’m a grown woman, not a gawky teenager. You’d think the fact that I’ve traveled all over the world and that I’m a successful author would impress him, but he just looks at me exactly the same way he did when I was in high school.” Hannah and Abbey exchanged a quick, apprehensive look. “Kate, you’re going to spend the afternoon with him? Do you really want to do that?” Abigail asked. Kate nodded. “I like to be with him. Don’t ask me why, I just do.” “Kate, you haven’t been home in ages. Matthew has a certain reputation,” Abigail said hesitantly. “He’s always been easygoing with you, and he’s very charming, but he’s…” She trailed off and looked to Hannah for direction. “What? A ladies’ man? I would presume a man his age has dated.” Kate walked across the room to touch the first of the seven stockings hung in a row along the mantelpiece. It allowed her to keep her expression hidden from her sisters. “I know he’s been in relationships.” Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html“That’s just it, Kate. He doesn’t have relationships. At best he has one-night stands. Women find him charming and mysterious, and he finds them annoying. Seriously, Kate, don’treally fall for him. He looks great on the outside, but he has a caveman attitude. He was in the military so long, doing all the secret Special Forces kind of stuff, and he just expects everyone to fall in line with his orders. It’s probably why he isn’t impressed with your world travels. Please don’t fall for him,” Hannah pleaded. “I couldn’t bear it if he hurt you, Kate.” “You’re so certain he wouldn’t fall for me? A few minutes ago you were saying you thought he might be sweet on me.” Kate tried to guard her voice, to keep her tone strictly neutral when there was a peculiar ache inside. “I really don’t need the warning. Men like Matthew don’t look at women like me.” She shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me. I need solitude, I always have. And I don’t have a tremendous amount of time to give to a relationship.” “What do you mean, Matthew wouldn’t look at a woman like you?” Abbey was outraged. “What are you talking about, Kate?” Kate took another sip of tea and smiled at her sisters over the rim of her teacup. “Don’t worry, I’m not feeling sorry for myself. I know I’m different. I was born the way I am. All of you stand out. Your looks, your personalities, even you, Hannah, with being so painfully shy, you embrace life. You all live it. You don’t let your weaknesses or failings stand in your way. I’m an observer. I read about life. I research life. I find a corner in a room and melt into it. I can become invisible. It’s an art, and I am a wonderful practitioner.” “You travel all over the world, Kate,” Hannah pointed out. “Yes, and my agent and my publisher smooth the way for me. I don’t have to ask for a thing, it’s all done for me. Matthew is like all of you. He throws himself into life and lives every moment. He’s a born hero, riding to the rescue, carrying out the wounded on his back. He needs someone willing to do the same. I’m a born observer. Maybe that’s why I was given the ability to see into the shadows at times. A part of me is already there.” Hannah’s blue eyes filled with tears. “Don’t say that, Kate. Don’t ever say that.” She wrapped her arms around Kate and hugged her close, uncaring that a small amount of tea splashed on her. “I didn’t know you felt that way. How could I not have known?” Kate hugged her hard. “Honey, don’t be upset for me. You don’t understand. I’m not distressed about it. My world is books. It always has been. I love words. I love living in my imagination. I don’t want to go climb a mountain. I love to study how it’s done. I love to talk to people who do it, but I don’t want the experience of it, the reality of it. My imagination provides a wonderful adventure without the risk or the discomfort.” “Katie,” Abbey protested. “It’s the truth. I’ve always been attracted to Matthew Granite, but I’m far too practical to make the mistake of believing anything could ever work between us. He runs wild. I remember him being right in the middle of every rough play in football both in high school and in college. He’s done so many crazy things, from serving as a Ranger to skydiving for the fun of it.” She shuddered. “I don’t even scuba dive. He goes whitewater rafting and rock climbing for relaxation. I read a good book. We aren’t in the least compatible, but I can still think he’s hot.” Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html“Are you certain you want to spend time with him?” Abbey asked. Kate shrugged. “What I want to do is to take a look at the mosaic and see if I can make out the shadows in the earth the way Hannah did.” “Maybe all three of us can figure out what is going on,” Hannah agreed. She followed Kate to the entryway, glancing over her shoulder at Abigail. “Doesn’t Joley sound beautiful? She sent us her Christmas CD. She said she might be able to make it home for Christmas.” “I hope so,” Abbey said. “Did Elle or Libby call?” “Libby is in South America,” Hannah said. “I thought you said she was in the Congo,” Kate interrupted. Hannah laughed. “Shewas in the Congo, but they called her to South America. She phoned right after the quake. Some small tribe in the rain forest has some puzzling disease and they asked Libby to fly there immediately to help and of course she did. She said it will be difficult, but no matter what, she’s coming home for Christmas. I think she needs to be with us. She sounded tired. Really tired. I told her we would get together and see if we could send her some energy, but she said no. She told me to conserve our strength and be very careful,” Hannah reported. Abbey and Kate stopped walking abruptly. “Are you certain Libby doesn’t need us, Hannah?” Kate asked. “You know what can happen to her. She heals people in the worst of circumstances, and it thoroughly depletes her energy. Traveling those distances on top of it with little sleep won’t help.” “She said no,” Hannah reiterated. “I heard the weariness in her voice. She obviously needs to come home and regroup and rest, but I didn’t feel as if she was in a dangerous state.” She knelt on the floor at the foot of the mosaic her grandmother and her grandmother’s sisters had worked so hard to make. Relief swept through Kate. Libby always drove herself too hard, and her health suffered dramatically for it. Libby was too small, too slender, a fragile woman who pushed herself for others. Libby worked for the Center for Disease Control and traveled all over the globe. “We’ll have to watch her,” Kate said softly, musing aloud. It was one of the best-loved talents of the sisters, to be able to stay in communication with one another no matter how far apart they were physically. They could ‘see’ one another and send energy back and forth when it was needed. Kate knelt beside Hannah in the entryway. Kate always felt a sense of awe when she looked at the artwork on the floor. The mosaic always seemed to her to be alive with energy. Anyone looking into the mosaic felt as if they were falling into another world. The deep blue of the sea was really the ocean in the sky. Stars burst and flared into life. The moon was a shining ball of silver. Kate bent close to the mosaic to examine the greens, browns, and grays that made up mother earth. Only Joley’s voice poured into the room, then melted away on the last notes to leave the room entirely silent. The three sisters linked hands. Small bursts of electricity arced from one to the other. In the dimly lit room the energy appeared as a jagged whip of lightning dancing between the three women. Power filled the room, energy enough to move the drapes at the windows so that the material swayed and bowed. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlKate kept her eyes fixed on the darker earth tones. Something moved, down close to the edge of the mosaic, in the deeper rocks. It moved slowly, a blackened shadow, slipping from one dark area to the next. It had a serpentine, cunning way about it, shifting from the edges up toward the surface as if trying to break through. Kate let her breath out slowly, inhaled deeply to fill her lungs, and let her body go. It was the only way to walk in the shadow world that was invisible to most human eyes. She felt the malevolence immediately, a twisted sneakiness, shrewd and determined, a being honed by rage and fueled by the need for revenge. The turmoil was overwhelming, spinning and boiling with heat and anger. It crept closer to her, awareness of her presence giving it a kind of malicious glee. She held herself still, trying to discern the dark force in the deeper shadows, but it blended too well. “Kate!” Hannah shook her hard, catching her by the shoulders and rocking her until her head lolled back on her neck. Abbey yanked Kate away from the mosaic and into her own body. There was a long silence while they clung to one another, breathing heavily, close to tears. The shrill ringing of the phone startled them. “Sarah,” they said simultaneously, and broke into relieved laughter. Abbey jumped up to answer the phone. “I’m telling Sarah on you,” she warned Kate, “and you’re going to be in so much trouble!” Kate gripped Hannah’s hand, trying to smile at Abbey’s dire prediction. “Did you feel it, Hannah?” she whispered. “Did you feel it coming after me?” “You can’t go into that world again, Kate. Not with that thing there. I couldn’t read what it was, but you have to stay away from it.” Hannah held Kate even tighter. “I know what it’s like to be afraid all the time, Katie. I can’t function in a crowd because the energy of so many people drains me. Their emotions bombard me until I can’t think or breathe. You all protect me, you always have. I wish we’d done the same for you.” Kate smiled and leaned over to kiss Hannah’s cheek. “I accepted my limitations a long time ago, Hannah, and I’ve never regretted my choice of lifestyles. I control my environment, and it works for me. I didn’t have the need to do all the things you wanted to do with your life. My world is carefully built and has large walls to protect me. You’re far more open to the assault. I’ll be careful, Hannah. I’m not a risk taker. You don’t have to worry that I’ll try to find the answers without the rest of you.” “Katie!” Abbey called out. “Sarah has a few things she wants to talk to you about.” She held out the phone. Kate hugged Hannah again. “It will be all right, I promise you, honey. It’s Christmas. Most everyone is coming home, and we’ll have the best time ever, just like we always do when we’re together.” Chapter 3 A chill, colder still than the air they will feel As I rejoice in release, as I slip past the seal Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlMATT STOOD BESIDE THE ENORMOUSDOUGLASfir tree decorated with hundreds of ornaments and colorful lights. The tall tree grew in the yard up near the cliffs in front of the house. It was one of the most beautiful sights he’d ever seen, but it paled in comparison to Kate. She stood on her porch, a snowglobe in her hands, smiling at him. Her eyes were as green as the sea, and her long, thick hair was twisted into some kind of intricate knot that made him want to pull out every pin so he could watch it tumble free. He walked up the porch steps and held out his hand. “Where in the world did you get that snowglobe? The scene inside looks exactly like your house and this Christmas tree.” She put the globe in his hands. Two of her sisters were standing on the porch with her, watching him with serious expressions on their faces. He had been so busy staring at Kate he hadn’t even noticed them. His hands closed over the heavy globe, his fingers brushing Kate’s. A tingle of electricity sparked its way up his arm. Almost at once the snowglobe grew warm in his hands. “Afternoon, ladies.” “Hi, Matt,” Hannah greeted. Abbey nodded to him. Although he’d made every effort to clean up after work, scrubbing his hands for a good half hour to get the dirt out from under his fingernails, he noticed with dismay that he hadn’t been successful. His nails seemed to be spotlighted from the strange glow coming from inside the glass of the globe. The lights of the tree blazed unexpectedly inside the glass, while an eerie white fog began to swirl. Fascinated, he held the globe at every angle, trying to see how he had turned it on, but he couldn’t find a battery or a switch anywhere. Peering closer he noticed a strange dark shadow taking shape at the base of the tree and creeping up the path toward the steps of the house. His body reacted, going on alert as he watched the shadow move stealthily. “This thing is spooky.” He handed the snowglobe to Hannah and took Kate’s elbow in a deliberate, proprietary action. Staking his claim. Declaring his intentions. His fingers settled around her slender arm, and his heart actually jumped in his chest. She was wearing some lacy white shirt that clung to the shape of her rounded breasts and left her lower arms bare. The pad of his thumb slid over her petal-soft skin just to feel the texture. She shivered, and he moved his body closer to block the breeze coming in off the ocean. They said good-bye to her sisters and headed for his car. Kate cleared her throat. “I appreciate your coming to pick me up, Matthew. I could have met you there.” “That’s silly, Kate, since we’re both going to the same place, and you’re on my way. I thought we might discuss the plans for the renovation over dinner when we’re finished inspecting the mill.” He pulled open the door to his Mustang convertible. The top was securely up. “What were you doing with the globe?” She smiled up at him and just that easily took his breath away. “We’re still putting out our decorations. Hannah just brought the globe down from the attic and was cleaning the glass. It’s a Christmas tradition in our family to wish on it.” “What was that strange dark shadow moving in the globe?” Kate abruptly turned back toward the house. Matt was standing close to her, holding the door open to the Mustang, and she bumped his chest with her nose. For a second she stood there with her eyes closed, then she inhaled deeply. He felt that breath right through his skin, all the way down to his bones. The tips of her breasts brushed his rib cage sending fire racing through his bloodstream and pooling into a Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlthick heat low in his belly. She smelled of cinnamon and spice. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her right there. Right in front of her sisters. “Matthew.” For the first time that he could remember, Kate sounded breathless. “What are you doing?” He realized his arms were around her. He was holding her captive against him, and his body was growing hard and making urgent demands. He cursed silently and let her go, turning away from her. “I thought you were getting into the car.” His voice was rough, even to his own ears. He had never wanted a woman the way he wanted Kate. He didn’t feel gentle when he wanted to be gentle. He didn’t feel nice and charming when it was usually so easy for him to be charming. He felt edgy and restless and achy as hell. He had a mad desire to scoop her up and lock her in his vehicle, a primitive, out-of-character urge when she looked on the verge of flight. “You really saw a shadow in the globe?” she asked. “What was it doing?” It was the last thing he expected her to say, and it sent a chill skittering down his spine. “I couldn’t tell what it was. The dark shadow went from the base of the tree up the path toward the porch of the house. It is your house in the globe, isn’t it? There’s fog or mist instead of snowflakes swirling around. It gives the globe a very eerie effect.” Kate glanced back at her sisters. Hannah set the snowglobe very carefully on the wide banister and stepped away from it. Inside the glass, heavy fog swirled. The lights from the tiny Christmas tree glowed a strange orange and red through the mist, almost as if on fire. Matt watched Kate’s sister closely. He had lived in Sea Haven all of his life. He had heard strange things about the Drake sisters. Up close to them, hefelt power and energy crackling in the air, and it emanated from them. The power filled the space around them until he breathed it. Hannah lifted her arms, and the wind swept in from the sea. With it came soft voices, whose words were impossible to distinguish, but the chant was melodious and in harmony with the things of the earth. The strange light in the snowglobe faded and diminished until it was a soft, faint glow. The voices on the wind continued until the lights behind the glass flickered and vanished, leaving the globe a perfectly ordinary Christmas ornament. The wind swirled cool air around them. Matt tasted the salt from the sea. He looked down at his fingers curled around Kate’s arm. He had pulled her protectively to him without thought or reason. He knew he should release her, but he couldn’t let go. Her slender body trembled, with power or with fear, Matt wasn’t certain which, but it didn’t matter to him. Kate looked up at him. “I can’t explain what just happened with the snowglobe.” “I’m not asking for an explanation. I just want you to get in my car.” She smiled up at him. “Thank you, Matthew. I really appreciate it.” She relaxed visibly and allowed him to help her into the warm leather seats. Kate felt very small beside Matt. Inside the car, he appeared enormous and powerful. His shoulders were wide enough to brush against her in the confines of the Mustang. When she inhaled, she took the masculine scent of him deep into her lungs. For a moment she felt dizzy. It made her want to laugh aloud at the thought. Kate Drake dizzy from the scent of a man. None of her sisters would believe it. The car handled the tight turns along the coastal highway with precision and ease, flowing around the corners so that she relaxed a little. Being around Matt always made her feel safe. She didn’t know why, but she no Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmllonger questioned it. He glanced over at her. “Does it bother you, the way people are always talking about your family?” “They talk in a nice way,” Kate pointed out. “I know they do. You’re the town’s treasures, but does it bother you?” Kate smiled at him. “Only you would ask me that question.” She sighed. “It shouldn’t bother me. We are different. We can’t exactly hide it, and of course people are going to talk about our strange ways. We grew up here, so everyone knows us and to some extent they protect us from outsiders, but yes, it does bother me that people are always so aware of us when we’re around.” She’d never voiced that aloud to anyone, not even her sisters. “I miss you when you’re gallivanting around the world, Kate. I’m glad you’ve decided to come home.” Her smile widened. “You’re such a flirt, Matthew, even with me, and I’ve known you all of my life. You haven’t calmed down much since your wild college days. When I was in high school, all the girls said you were legendary at Stanford.” “Well, I wasn’t. I should have gone to a college far away from here instead of only a couple of hours. It might have cut down on the talk. And I don’t flirt,” he said firmly. He wanted to park the car and just look at her. Touch her soft skin and kiss her for hours. The moment the thoughts crept into his head his body hardened into a dull, painful ache. He couldn’t get near her without it happening. He was a grown man, and his body responded to her as if he were an adolescent. “Matthew, you flirt with everyone. And your reputation is terrible. If I wasn’t already so talked about, I’d be worried.” “No one talks about me.” She laughed softly. “I can relate the story of you and Janice Carlton by heart, I’ve heard it so many times.” He groaned. “Is that still going around? That happened long ago. I was on leave, it must have been what? Six years ago? I did pick her up in the bar, she was drunk, Kate. I couldn’t just leave her there.” “And how did her blouse get on the bushes outside the grocery store?” Matt glanced sideways at her. “All right, I’ll admit it was her blouse, but come on, Kate, I wasn’t in high school. Give me a little credit for growing up. She was as drunk as a skunk and began peeling off her clothes the minute we were driving down the street. She threw her blouse out the window and would have thrown her bra but I told her I’d put her out on the sidewalk if she did. I took her straight home. And in case you want to know why my version was never told, I don’t like talking about women who throw themselves at me when they’re drunk. In spite of what you’ve heard, my mother raised me to be a gentleman. We may be a little rough around the edges, but the Granites have a code of honor.” The Mustang swung fluidly into the driveway leading to the old mill on the cliff above Sea Lion Cove. Matt drove straight up the dirt driveway to the long, wooden building and parked. He turned off the engine and slid his arm along the back of her seat. The ocean boomed below the cliffs, a timeless rhythm that seemed to echo the beat of his heart. “Most of the stories about me aren’t true, Kate.” Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlKate stared straight ahead at the old building. Much of the wood was pitted from sea salt. The paint had long since worn away from the steady assault of the wind. She loved the look of the mill, the way it fit there on the cliff, a part of the past she wanted to bring with her into the future. She took a deep breath, composed herself, and turned to take Matt in. Up close, Matthew Granite was a giant of a man with rippling, defined muscles and a strong, stubborn jaw. His mouth was something she spent far too much time staring at and dreaming about, and the shape of it had managed to slip into her bestselling novels on several heroes. His eyes were amazing. They should have been gray but they were more silver, a startling color that made her heart do triple time. He had the kind of thick, dark hair that made her want to run her fingers in it, and he wore it longer than most men. Kate felt a bit faint looking at his heavily muscled chest, then up into his glinting silver eyes. “Well, darn it, Matthew, all this time I thought I was in the presence of greatness.” She managed to conjure up a lighthearted laugh. “It’s not nice to destroy a woman’s illusions.” He frowned. “I didn’t say Iwasn’t the bad boy of Sea Haven.” “I thought Jonas Harrington was the bad boy of Sea Haven.” Matt looked affronted. “I never come in second place.” His hand came up, unexpectedly spanning her throat. Kate was certain her heart skipped a beat. His palm was large, and his fingers wrapped easily around her neck, his thumb tipping her head up so she was forced to meet the sudden hunger blazing in his eyes. It was the last thing Kate expected to see, and his intensity shocked her. “Matthew.” She breathed his name in a small protest. It wasn’t a good idea. They weren’t a good idea. He simply lowered his head and took possession of her mouth. His kiss was anything but gentle. He dragged her close, a starving man devouring her with hot, urgent kisses. The breath slammed out of her lungs, and every nerve ending in her body screamed at her. Electricity crackled between them, arcing from Matt to Kate and back again. Fire raced over her skin, melting her insides. He took the lead, kissing her hungrily, hotly, his tongue dueling with hers, demanding a response she found herself giving. Her arms crept around his neck, her body pressing close to the heat of his. She felt so much heat, so much magic she couldn’t think straight. The blare of a horn made Kate jump away from him. Matt cursed and glanced at the highway in time to see his brothers waving, hooting, and honking as they drove by. “Damned idiots,” he said, but there was a wealth of affection in his voice impossible to miss. Kate pressed a trembling hand to her swollen mouth. Her skin felt raw and burned from the dark shadow on his jaw. She didn’t dare look in the mirror, but she knew she looked thoroughly kissed. “They saved us.” “They may have saved you, but I’m in dire straits here, woman.” And dammit all, he was. What was it about this woman that made him lose control whenever he was around her? Was she really a witch? He was going to have a few things to say to his brothers when he got his hands on them. He wasn’t looking forward to the ribbing he was going to get after being caught necking like a teenager with Kate Drake. It didn’t help matters that he saw Jonas Harrington cruising by very slowly, obviously looking for them. Damn Danny and his radio. It would be all over Sea Haven if they weren’t more careful, and the last thing he wanted was for Kate to run from him because of gossip. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlHe touched Kate’s red face. Her soft skin was raw from his whiskers. “I should have shaved, Katie, I’m sorry. I wasn’t planning on kissing you.” So, okay, he wanted to kiss her. He’d hoped to kiss her. He’d actually gotten down on his knees briefly last night when no one was around and asked for a Christmas miracle, but she didn’t need to know how badly he wanted her. The way he said Katie, turned her heart over, sending a million butterfly wings brushing at her stomach. “I don’t mind.” He caught her face in his hands. “I mind. I need to be more careful with you.” Abruptly he let her go and opened the door. It was the only safe thing to do when she looked so tempting. The chill from the sea rushed in to displace the heat of their bodies inside the car. Kate didn’t wait for him to come around and open her door. She was too shaken, too shocked by her reactions to him. It was so un-Kate-like of her. Kate the practical had just made a terrible mistake, and she couldn’t take it back. She could still taste him, still had his scent clinging to her body, still felt a tremendous, edgy pressure, a need as elemental as hunger and thirst. She stood in the wind and lifted her face, hoping her skin would cool and that the raging need that was always inside of her would once again find rest. Matt took her hand and led her up the broken and uneven path to the building. She didn’t resist or pull away. “The structure’s sound,” she assured him as she unlocked the door. “I want to be able to incorporate as much of the original building as possible when I expand. I was thinking decks outside with some protection against the wind for the sunnier days, and indoors, a large area with chairs and small tables for reading and drinking coffee or chocolate or whatever. There’s a large stone fireplace in what must have been an office, and I’d like to keep that too if possible.” Kate covered her anxiety with talk, pointing out the rustic features she wanted to save and as many of the problem areas as she knew about. She was very aware of Matt’s hand holding hers securely. Twice she tried to casually disengage, but he tugged her across the room to examine a rotted section of wood near the foundation. “Where do the stairs lead?” He opened the sagging door and peered down into the dark interior. The stairs appeared to be very steep and halfway down he was certain the walls were dirt. “Is there a light?” “Of sorts,” Kate said. “It’s over the second stair down. I can’t reach the chain.” “Why wouldn’t it be up here?” He pulled the chain gingerly, half-expecting the light to explode. It came on, but it was a dim yellow and made a strange humming sound. “What is that?” “I don’t know, but the fire marshal assured me it was safe in here.” She smiled at him. “Isn’t one of your brothers an electrician?” “It will be a while before we need him,” Matt said, starting down the stairs. The staircase was solid enough, but he didn’t like the look of the wall. Several cracks spread out from the center of the wall in all directions like spiderwebs. He glanced at Kate, his eyebrow raised. She shook her head. “The earthquake must have damaged it. It wasn’t like that when I came down here with the Realtor. I actually came down twice just to make certain the entire place wasn’t going to sink Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlinto the ocean. I know it’s in bad shape, but it’s such a perfect location. If I have to, I can pull down the mill and start from scratch. If you think that’s the best thing to do, I’ll take your advice, but I really want to save as much of the original building as possible.” “It’s going to cost more money than it might be worth, Kate,” he warned. Kate shivered as they went down the stairs to the dimly lit basement. It was far colder than she remembered. Always sensitive to energy, she felt an icy malevolence that hadn’t been there before. She looked around cautiously, moving closer to Matt for protection. The atmosphere vibrated with unrestrained malicious amusement. “Matthew, let’s leave.” She tugged at his arm. He looked down at her quickly. “What is it, Katie?” There was a caress to his voice, one that warmed her in spite of the icy chill in the basement. “You can wait upstairs while I look around.” He felt her shiver and took the jacket she was holding from her to help her into it. “It won’t take me very long.” He pulled the edges of the jacket together and buttoned it up, his fingers lingering on the lapels, just holding her there, close to him. Kate shook her head. “It feels unhealthy down here. I don’t want to leave you alone. Matthew,” she hesitated, searching for the right words. “This doesn’t feel right to me, not the way it did before.” His silver eyes moved over her face. He suddenly winked, a quick sexy gesture that sent her heart thudding. “I’ll make it quick, I promise.” Kate trailed after him, reluctant to be too far from him in the gloomy basement. It was long and wide and had a dirt floor. “I think this was used as the smugglers’ storehouse. There’s a stairway leading to the cove through a narrow tunnel. Part of the tunnel collapsed some years ago, but I read in my grandmother’s diary that the mill was used to store supplies and weapons and spices coming in off the boats.” She pressed her lips together, determined not to distract him as he studied the walls and the floor of the basement. “What’s this?” Matt halted next to a strange covering in the dirt. It was at least two inches thick and looked almost like the lid of a coffin, except it was oval in shape. The surface was rough and covered with symbols, which were impossible to read with the dirt and grime over them. Running straight through the middle of the lid was a large crack. Kate frowned. “I didn’t notice it before. It must have been covered by the dirt. Could the earthquake have shifted that much dirt?” She moved closer to it reluctantly. The icy cold air was coming from the deep crack. “I don’t like this, Matthew.” “It isn’t a grave, Kate,” he pointed out, crouching beside it and brushing at the dirt along the edges. “It’s more like a seal of some kind.” She hunkered down beside him. A blast of cold air touched her palm as she passed it above the crumbling rock. She brushed the dirt away from the symbols, trying to decipher the old hieroglyphics. The language was an ancient one, but it was all too familiar to her. Her ancestors, generations of powerful witches, had used such symbols to communicate privately. Her mother had urged them to learn the language, and Kate knew a few of the symbols, but not all. “It says something about rage. The symbols are chipped and worn away. I can make out the words, ‘sealed until the day one is born’—” She broke off in frustration, leaning closer to try to figure out the meaning of the words. “Where did you learn those symbols? Are they Egyptian?” Matt asked. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlKate shook her head. “No, it’s a family thing. We were all supposed to have learned. Do you think this is a well of some kind?” Matt continued to dig around the edges of the thick lid. “It can’t be a well, Kate. Maybe some kind of memorial?” He pushed at the heavy slab. It crumbled around the edges but slid slightly. “No!” Kate caught Matt’s arm, tugging hard. “We don’t know what’s inside. Something about this doesn’t feel right to me. Can’t you feel the malevolence pouring out of the crack?” She stumbled back, taking him with her, nearly sprawling on the ground so that he had to catch her as a noxious gas poured from the slit that had opened. “It’s just gas created from decomposed matter that’s been trapped for a long time,” Matt said, dragging her as far from the crevice as he could get them. He pushed her toward the stairs. “Sometimes the gases can make you sick or worse, Kate. Don’t breathe it in.” She looked pale, her eyes wide with horror. She stared at the lid without moving, one hand pressed to her mouth. Matt could see that her entire body was trembling. At once he wrapped his arms around her and drew her close to him. He practically enveloped her entire body, yet she never looked away from the oddity in the basement, mesmerized by the yellow-black vapor streaming from the crack. “It’s nothing Kate, just a hole in the ground. It’s probably a couple of hundred years old.” He remained calm in order to reassure her, but all of his senses had gone on alert. Matthew obviously couldn’t feel the malicious triumph pouring out of the ground, a welling-up of victory, a coup of sorts. She couldn’t identify it, had no idea what it was, but she was terrified they might have unleashed something dangerous. Horrified, she watched the dark, ugly vapor swirl around the room, then stream up the stairs toward freedom, leaving behind an icy cold that chilled her to her bones. “Stop shaking, Kate. It’s gas. It happens all the time in these old vents.” Matt couldn’t bear that she was so frightened. “We find pockets all over the place. You haven’t gone into the tunnel, have you? That could have all sorts of gas pockets as well as cave-ins.” “Have you ever seen gas do that? Travel around the room?” “We’re getting some kind of wind off the ocean, Kate. Can’t you feel the draft in here? It’s very strong.” “I have to take a look at those symbols, Matthew. I think something was sealed beneath that lid, and the earthquake disturbed it.” She knew she sounded utterly ridiculous. She probably appeared a crackpot to him, but she was certain she was right. Something had slid out of that vent, something not meant to inhabit the world. Matt studied her serious face, the fear in her eyes. “Let me make certain it’s safe, Kate.” He gently set her aside and made his way across the uneven dirt floor to the crumbling rock lid. “Be careful, Matthew.” When he looked at her, she wished she’d kept her mouth shut. She was sounding more and more paranoid. He sniffed the air cautiously. The odor was foul, but he could breathe easily without coughing. “I think it’s safe enough, Kate. I’m not keeling over, and I don’t feel faint. I don’t know what the hell you think just happened, but if it has you so afraid, I’m going to believe it. Jonas says never to doubt any of you Drakes.” Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlShe was grateful that he was trying to understand, but she knew he couldn’t. Kate ducked her head, avoiding his gaze, afraid to see the way he was looking at her. She sank down beside the lid and dusted lightly with her fingers, afraid of crumbling the old rock even more. Matt waited silently as long as he could. There was the sound of the sea booming in the background. The echo of it pounded off the walls eerily. “Does it mean anything to you?” He tried to keep impatience from his voice when all he wanted to do was snatch Kate up and carry her out of the place. Kate peered closer to decipher the words. Seven sisters. Seven Drake sisters. Her ancestors. They had bound something to earth, committed its spirit to the vent hole to protect something. She couldn’t read it exactly as parts of the letters were smashed and worn away, but she was afraid it was the townspeople who needed to be protected. She could also make out something to do with Christmas and fire and one who would be born who could bring peace. Kate looked up at Matt. There was no way to hide the terror in her eyes, and she didn’t bother to try. “I need to go home right now.” Chapter 4 A wreath of holly meant to greet Looks much better tossed in the street MATT SAT IN HIS CAR WITH THE HEATER RUNNINGand his favorite CD playing low. Joley Drake’s unique, sultry voice had taken her up the charts fast. He loved this particular collection, usually finding it soothing, but it wasn’t doing him any good now. He gripped the steering wheel and stared up at the blazing lights of the Christmas tree in front of the cliff house. The fog was beginning to roll in off the sea, stretching white fingers toward land and the house he was watching. There were no electric lights in the windows, yet he could see the flicker of candlelight and an occasional shadow as one of the Drake sisters moved past the glass. The passenger door jerked open, and Jonas Harrington slid into the seat beside Matt, shutting the door against the cold. “Dammit, Jonas, you scared the hell out of me!” Matt snapped. He hadn’t realized just how jumpy he was until Jonas had pulled the door open. “Sorry about that.” Jonas sounded as pleasant as ever. Too pleasant. Matt turned his head to look at his childhood friend. “What are you doing out here? It’s cold, and the fog’s coming in. You aren’t stalking our Kate, are you?” Matt studied his friend’s face. He was smiling, looking amicable, but his eyes were ice-cold. “Of course I’m stalking Kate. Do you think I’ve lost my mind? That woman belongs with me.” He grinned to relieve the tension gathering between them. “I just have to figure out how to convince her of that. What are you doing here? And why didn’t I see the headlights of your car?” He glanced in the rearview mirror and noted Jonas had cruised silently up behind him. “I ran without headlights, didn’t want to scare you away. What happened tonight? Why are they all upset?” There was no obvious accusation in the voice, but Matt had been around Jonas his entire life, Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmland he recognized the underlying note of suspicion. “What the hell are you trying to say, Jonas? Spit it out and quit beating around the bush.” Temper was beginning to flare. “I’ve had a hell of an evening, and you aren’t helping.” Jonas shrugged. “I did just spit it out. They’re upset. I can feel it. All of them, every single sister. Does it have something to do with you and Kate?” “What kind of question is that? Hell, yes, I want Kate. And yes, I’d do just about anything to get her, but I sure wouldn’t lay a finger on her if she didn’t want me to, and I wouldn’tever hurt her. Is that what you want to know?” Jonas nodded. “That’s about what I was looking for. I’d hate to have to kick your ass, but if you hurt that girl, I’d have to do it.” “As if you could.” Matt tapped his finger against the steering wheel, frowning while his temper settled. “What do you mean, you can feel they’re all upset?” “I’ve always been able to feel when something’s wrong with the Drakes. And right now, something’s very wrong.” Jonas continued to look at him with cool, assessing eyes. Matt shook his head. “It wasn’t me, Jonas. Something weird happened at the old mill, and Kate was very distressed. She asked me to take her home, and I did.” He raked his fingers through his hair, not once, but twice. “I didn’t even have a chance to ask her out again. I was just sitting here, trying to figure out whether I should go up to the house and ask her what happened, or go back to the mill and try to figure it out.” “There they are!” Jonas muttered an ugly word beneath his breath. “What the hell do they think they’re doing going out in the middle of the night with the fog rolling in?” Matt could just make out the three Drake sisters swirling dark, hooded cloaks around them as they hurried down the steps. The fog was heavy and thick, an invasion of white mist that hid the women effectively as they rushed down the worn pathway that wound down the hill toward the road. Matt leaped out of his car, losing sight of them in the curtain of fog. He was aware of Jonas swearing under his breath, keeping pace as they angled to cut off the Drakes before they could reach the highway. Jonas beat him to the women, catching Hannah’s arm and yanking her around to face him. “Are you out of your mind?” Kate’s expression went from startled to troubled when she caught sight of them. “Matthew, I thought you went home.” She looked uneasily around her at the fog. “You shouldn’t be out here. I don’t think it’s safe. And neither should you, Jonas.” Hannah glared at the sheriff. “Has anyone ever told you you have bad manners?” “Has anyone ever turned you over their knee?” Jonas countered. “If you don’t think it’s safe out here, what are you doing running around in the dark?” Kate indicated the heavy wall of fog. “It isn’t like we’re going to get very far in this stuff. We have an errand, Jonas, an important one.” Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html“Then you should have called me,” Jonas snapped impatiently. Hannah stirred as if to say something but Jonas’s fingers tightened around her arm. “I’m really, really angry right now, Hannah. Don’t make it worse.” “Jonas,” Kate’s voice was placating. “You don’t understand.” “Then make me understand, Kate,” he snarled. Matt immediately stepped between Jonas and Kate. “I don’t think you need to talk to her like that, Jonas. Let her explain.” Kate’s fingers curled around Matt’s arm. “Jonas worries about us, Matthew. We probably should have called him.” Matt didn’t want her calling Jonas; he wanted her to call him when something was wrong. And something was obviously wrong. Before she could pull her hand away from his arm, he covered her fingers with his. “We’re already here, Kate. Tell us what you need to do.” Her sea-green eyes moved over his face. He had the feeling she could see more deeply into him than most people, but it was always like that with Kate. He tightened his hold on her hand. “Kate. You trust Jonas. He can vouch for me.” Kate closed her eyes briefly. Matthew Granite was her dream man, and after he witnessed what really went on around the Drake sisters she wouldn’t even be able to sustain the fantasy of a relationship with him. She sighed but she squared her shoulders. Some things were just more important than romantic dreams. She took a deep breath. “Something was unleashed today, something malevolent. We think.” She looked at her sisters for courage before continuing. “We think the earthquake may have awakened it or at least provided it with the opportunity to rise. It was the shadow you saw in the globe, Matt, and my sisters and I saw in the mosaic. It’s very real, and it feels dangerous to us.” She stared up at him, clearly expecting him to laugh. Matt kept his face completely expressionless. He knew the Drakes were different; some said they performed miracles, some said they were genuine witches. Sea Haven was a hotbed of gossip, and the Drake sisters were always at the forefront. But not Kate. Never Kate. “So it felt dangerous to you, and the first thing you do is rush out into the night in the middle of one of the worst fogs we’ve ever had,” Jonas snapped. “Dammit, Kate, Abbey and Hannah might rush headlong into danger, but you usually show some trace of sense.” He hauled Hannah back against him when she tried to squirm away. “I’m not playing around with you, Hannah. Keep it up, and I’ll lock you away for the night.” Hannah’s beautiful face radiated fury, but instead of taking Jonas to task as Matt expected, she was gasping for breath. Abbey leaped to her side. “Breathe, Hannah, very slow.” Hannah shook her head, fear filling her eyes. Abbey extracted a paper bag from her purse and handed it to her sister. “Breathe into this.” Looking alarmed, Jonas wrapped his arm around Hannah’s waist to support her as she doubled over, clearly unable to breathe adequately. “What the hell is wrong with her? Should we get an ambulance?” Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html“Would you please stop swearing at her?” Abbey snapped. “Be very careful, Jonas, or I’ll ask you questions you don’t want to answer.” “Shut up, Abbey, don’t you dare threaten me,” Jonas growled back. “Stop it, all of you, stop it,” Kate pleaded. Seeing the anxiety on Kate’s face, Matt stepped closer to her and put his arm around her. Hannah breathed into the paper bag for a couple of minutes and lifted her head. She looked ready to cry. “Abbey, if you want to take Hannah back to the house, I’ll go with Kate to do whatever it is you all think is so important.” He made the offer before he could stop himself. Kate was shivering in the cold fog. She didn’t need to be out on such a night. He wanted just to pick her up and take her home and lie down with her by the fireplace. Jonas pushed back Hannah’s wealth of blond hair. “Are you all right, baby doll?” His choice of words should have been insulting, but the gentle concern in his voice made them an endearment. Hannah nodded but didn’t look at any of them, still clearly fighting for air. “Maybe that’s a good idea, Hannah. I’ll go with Matt and just look around a little, and you and Abbey pull out the diaries and see if you can find anything that might help us figure this out,” Kate said. “Matthew, are you certain you don’t mind? I want to walk around town and just get a feel for what’s going on.” “I don’t mind. Are you going to be warm enough?” “Just how dangerous is this, Kate?” Jonas asked. “I honestly don’t know,” she replied. “I wish I knew. We thought if we went out together, all of us might be able to pick something up, but I already feel it. I think I can track it.” Matt cleared his throat. “Track a shadow?” If they weren’t all so serious, he would be thinking it was a Halloween prank. He glanced up at the house. The fog was a heavy shroud, almost obliterating the house. He could see the lights of the Christmas tree, but only as pale, orange-glowing haloes distorted by the blanket of grayish white. He went still. The fog was changing color, darkening from white to a charcoal gray. Just as the fog had done in the snowglobe when he’d picked it up to examine it. “The fog is bad, Kate. I’ve never seen it like this,” Jonas said. “Stay close to Matt. I’ll take Hannah and Abbey back to the house.” Hannah stiffened and looked at Abbey. Abbey smiled. “We’ll make it home fine, Jonas. It’s just up the hill. We know the path.” “I’m coming with you, Abbey, so don’t argue.” Jonas turned resolutely toward the house. “Matt, if it feels wrong to you, or you think Kate’s in any danger at all, get her back here and don’t let her give you any nonsense.” Kate smiled at Jonas. “I never talk nonsense. You take care of my sisters because if anything happens to them…” Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html“I know, I’ve heard it all before.” Jonas waved at her, and the fog swallowed them up, even muffling the sound of their footsteps on the path, leaving Kate alone with Matt. She looked up at him. “You don’t have to do this, you know. I’m capable of walking up and down the streets of Sea Haven.” Matthew stared down into her beautiful sea-green eyes. “But I’m not capable of leaving your side when there’s even a hint of danger near you.” He lowered his head slowly to hers, drawn as if by a magnet, expecting her to pull away, giving her plenty of time to think about it. Kate watched his eyes change, go dark with desire, right before his mouth took possession of hers. It didn’t matter that the air was cold, and the wind chilled them, their bodies produced a remarkable heat, their mouths fused with fire. He dragged her against his body, his muscular arms enveloping her, holding her as if she were the most precious person in the world to him. He was exquisitely rough, yet impossibly gentle, voraciously hungry, nearly devouring her mouth, yet so tender he brought tears to her eyes. She had no idea how he did it, but she wanted more. “You’re not good for me,” she whispered against his mouth. His tongue slid along the seam of her lips, teased her tongue into another brief, but heated tango. “I’m absolutely perfect for you.” He tugged at her cape until her body was pressed tightly against his. “I was born to be with you, Kate. You’re supposed to be some kind of a magical woman, filled with the second sight, yet you don’t see what’s right in front of you. Why is that?” He didn’t give her the opportunity to debate, he just kissed her long and thoroughly. Kate felt her insides melting, turning to a warm puddle and settling somewhere in her lower region as a frustrating and unrelenting ache. Her knees actually went weak. “I can’t think straight when we’re kissing, Matthew.” “That’s a good thing, Kate, because neither can I,” he answered, his lips drifting into the hollow of her neck and back up to find her ear. Heat pulsed through her, but she forced herself to pull away from him. He wasn’t for her. She knew that, and once he found out what she was really was like, he’d know it too. She might seem courageous and strong, but when it came to losing him, she knew she’d be very fragile. Starting up with Matthew Granite was a decidedly ridiculous thing for her to do. “Matthew, really, I have to find this malevolent shadow and hopefully help it find some peace or get my sisters to help me seal it back up.” Matt silently cursed dark shadows and evil entities and every other thing that went bump in the night. She obviously believed they had let something harmful loose on the small town of Sea Haven. He was certain it was a pocket of gas; but if it meant walking around town with her at night, holding hands and kissing her every chance he got, well, hell, he was her man. He could do that. And he would even try to keep an open mind. “Then let’s go.” He wrapped his arm around her. “I’ve got a flashlight in my car. This fog is really thick.” “We won’t need a flashlight, Matthew. I have a couple of glow sticks. My sister Elle makes them. They work very well in the fog.” She pulled several thin tubes from the inside pocket of her cape and handed him one. “Just shake it.” “I forgot about little Elle and her chemistry set. She blew up more missiles on the beach than any other Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlkid at Sea Haven. Didn’t she get a full scholarship to Columbia or MIT or some other very prestigious school? One very brave to take her on?” Kate laughed, warmth spreading through her. “They were very brave, but fortunately they turned out a remarkable physicist able to do just about anything she wants to do. Elle is a genius and utterly fearless. She’s not afraid to crawl around in caves looking at strange rock formations, and she’s not afraid of taking apart a bomb when she’s needed. Unlike me.” “What do you mean?” Matt tightened his fingers around hers. “My sisters do incredible things and people expect it of us, but I wouldn’t want you to think I’m capable of climbing mountains or jumping out of planes because you’ve heard of all of their exploits.” She was feeling her way in the fog rather than following the glow stick. She lifted her face to the droplets of sea moisture, inhaling to try to catch the scent of something foul. “We have to cross the highway.” With the fog so thick there was virtually no traffic. Matt moved with her across the coastal highway and took the shortcut that led to the center of town. She was so serious all of a sudden, so distant from him, that he was actually beginning to believe she was on the trail of something evil. He could sense the stillness in her, the gathering of energy. The survival instincts he’d honed during his years as a Ranger kicked in. His skin prickled as he went onto alert status. Adrenaline surged, and his senses grew keener. He felt the need for complete silence and wondered if he was beginning to believe in supernatural nonsense. Matt eased the glow stick inside his jacket without activating it. The fog muffled the sound of Kate’s footsteps. He was aware of her breathing, of the eerie feel of the fog itself, of everything. By mutual consent they were silent as they walked along the street. He became aware of a slight noise. A puffing. It was distant and hushed, barely audible in the murky blanket of mist. Matt found himself straining to listen. There was a rhythm to the sound, reminding him of a bull drawing air in and out of its lungs hard before a charge. Breathing. Someone was breathing, and the sound was moving, changing directions each time they changed directions. Matt pressed his lips to her ear. “There’s someone in the fog with us.” He was certain someone was watching them, someone quite close. Kate tipped her head back. “Something, not someone.” Kate turned toward the residential area. The town looked strange shrouded in the gray-white fog. Heavily decorated for Christmas, the multicolored lights on the stores and office buildings, the houses and trees gave off the peculiar glow of a fire in the strange vapor, giving the town a disturbing infernal appearance rather than a festive one. Matt wished he had brought a weapon with him. He was a good hand-to-hand fighter because he was a big man, strong, with quick reflexes and extensive training, but he had no idea what kind of adversary they faced. Something hit him in the back, skittered down his jeans, and fell to the street. Matt whirled around to face the enemy and found nothing but fog. “What is it?” Kate asked. Her voice was steady, but her hand, on the small of his back, was shaking. Matt hunkered down to look at the object at his feet. “It’s a Christmas wreath, Kate. A damned Christmas wreath.” He looked around carefully, trying to penetrate the fog and see what was moving in Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlit. He could feel the presence now, real, not imagined. He could hear the strange, labored breathing, but he couldn’t find the source. As he stood, a second object came hurtling out of the fog to hit him in the chest. He heard the smash of glass and knew immediately that the wreath had been decorated with glass ornaments. “Let’s get out of here, off the street at least,” he said. Kate was stubborn, shaking her head. “No, I have to face it here.” Matt pulled Kate to him, shielding her smaller body with his own as more wreaths came flying through the air, hurled with deadly accuracy at them from every direction. He wrapped his arms around her head, pressing her face against his chest. “It’s kids,” he muttered, brushing a kiss on top of her head to reassure her. “Always playing pranks; it’s dangerous in this fog, not to mention destructive.” He hoped it was kids. It had to be an army of kids, tearing wreaths off the doors of the houses and throwing them at passersby as a prank. He heard no laughter, not even running footsteps. He heard nothing but the rough breathing. It seemed to come out of the fog itself. The nape of his neck prickled with unease. “It isn’t children playing a prank, Matt.” Kate sounded close to tears. “It’s much, much worse.” “Kate.” He stroked a caress down the back of her head. Her hair was inside the hood of the cape, but his palm lingered anyway. “It isn’t the first time a group of kids decided to play around, and it won’t be the last.” The Christmas wreaths lay around them in a circle, some smashed or crushed and others in reasonably good shape. Kate lifted her face away from his chest and took a breath. “I can smell it, can’t you?” Matt inhaled deeply. He recognized the foul, noxious odor of the gases in the old mill. His heart jumped. “Dammit, Kate. I’m beginning to believe you. Let’s get the hell out of here before I decide I’m crazy.” She pulled free of his arms. “Is that what you think about me? That I’m crazy?” “Of course not. This is all just so damned odd.” Her sea-green eyes moved over his face, a little moody, a little fey. “Well, brace yourself, it’s going to get damned odder. Stay still.” The fog swirled around them, their faces, their feet, and bodies, spinning webs of charcoal gray matter. As at the cliff house, Matt got the impression of bony fingers, and this time they were trying to grab at Kate. Without thinking, he caught her up and started to run, the urge strong to get her away from the long gray tentacles, but the blanket of fog was thick around them. Kate pressed her lips to his ear. “Stop! I have to try to stop it, Matthew; it’s what I do. We can’t outrun the fog, it’s everywhere.” “Dammit, Kate, I don’t like this.” When she didn’t respond, he reluctantly put her down and stayed very close to her, ready for action. She turned in the direction of her home, her face serene, thoughtful, yet determined. She radiated beauty, an inner fire and strength. She whispered, a soft, melodic chant that became part of the night, of the air Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlsurrounding them. She wasn’t speaking English but a language he didn’t recognize. Her voice was soothing, tranquil, a soft invitation to a place of peace and harmony with the earth. The fog itself breathed harder, in and out, a burst of air sounding like a predatory animal with teeth and claws. The mist seemed to vibrate with anger, roiling and spinning and growing darker. Gray fog whirled around the Christmas wreaths at Matt’s feet, spinning fast enough to lift them into the air. Bright green wreaths withered and blackened as if all the life was being sucked out of them. The objects reminded Matt of the garlands at funerals rather than the cheery decorations for a holiday, and each of them seemed to be aimed straight toward Kate. His breath caught in his throat, and his heart pounded. Kate looked small and fragile under the onslaught of the vicious gray-black vapor. He moved, a fluid glide that took him into the path of the blackened garlands so that they smashed into his larger frame. Kate ignored the fog and the wreaths, concentrating on something inside of herself. She stared toward the house on the cliffs and abruptly lifted her arms straight up into the air. The wind rushed in from the ocean with wild force. It carried the crisp scent of the sea, the taste and feel of the waves, and a spray of salt. It also carried voices, soft and melodious and very feminine. The wind swept through the fogbank, the voices swelling in strength, Kate’s voice joining theirs until they were in perfect harmony, in total command. The spinning Christmas wreaths dropped to the road. The fog receded, heading inland, blanketing the residential homes; but the wind was persistent, shifting directions and herding the fog back toward the ocean. Kate looked translucent, her skin pale and beaded with moisture, wisps of hair clinging to her face, but she didn’t falter. Her voice brought a sense of peace, of tranquillity, of something beautiful and satisfying. It filled Matt with longing for a home and a family of his own. It filled him with a deep sense of pride and respect for Kate Drake. He watched the fog reluctantly retreat until it was far out over the ocean, dissipated by the force of the wind. There was a silence left behind in the vacuum of the tempest. Kate dropped her arms as if they were leaden. She staggered. He leaped forward to catch her before she collapsed, swinging her into his arms and cradling her against his chest. “It’s growing in strength. I couldn’t have sent it away if my sisters hadn’t helped.” Kate looked up at him with frightened eyes. Matt kissed her. It was the only thing he could think to do. She seemed weightless in his arms. He kissed her eyes and the tip of her nose and settled his mouth, feather-light over hers. “It’s all right now, Kate. Rest. You sent it away. Tell me what you need.” He could see that every drop of her strength had been used up in fighting the unseen enemy in the fog. She’d made a believer out of him. He was a man of action, having spent several years in the service training to protect his countrymen, yet there had been nothing he could do to stop the evil shadow in the mist. “What is it?” She rubbed her face tiredly against his jacket. “I don’t know, Matthew, I honestly don’t know.” “How did you know what to say to it? What language it would understand?” “I didn’t know. I was using a healing chant my family has passed down from generation to generation. I was attempting to heal its spirit.” He stared at her, trying not to look shocked. The dark shadow seemed beyond any sort of redemption to him, something dark and dangerous, looking for a chance to strike out at anything or anyone around it. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlKate looked at the wreaths strewn all over the road. “Strange that he would choose to attack us with the wreaths.” “Strange that it could use them at all. Do you think it’s a he?” She shrugged. “It felt male to me.” The adrenaline was beginning to subside, but he continued to eye the cliffs warily. “I’m never going to look at fog again in the same way.” “A wreath is a continuous circle, Matthew, and it symbolizes real love, unconditional, true affection that never ceases.” Her voice was thoughtful. “I didn’t feel love flowing out of the fog,” he answered. He began walking back in the direction of her house, Kate in his arms. “But he tore the Christmas wreaths off every door on the street and threw them.” “Atus,” he said grimly. “I’m used to looking my enemy in the eye, Katie, fighting him with weapons or my bare hands. I couldn’t exactly grab the fog and throttle it, although I wanted to.” “Put me down, Matthew, I’m too heavy for you to carry all that way.” “I was a Ranger for ten years, Katie, I think I can pack your weight with no problem.” She wasn’t going to argue, she was just too drained. “Ten years. That’s right, you joined right out of college. I’ve been wandering around so much, and I knew you didn’t live here, but your family always made it seem as if you were here.” “I spent my leave here, every chance I could. I picked up my life here again immediately after I got out of the service because the family business was waiting for me. My father and brothers kept me a part of it, even though they did all the work.” “Why did you join the Rangers, Matthew? As soon as I heard, I researched what they were all about. It was very—” she hesitated, searching for the right word—“intense. And frightening. Why would you want to do something like that?” “I’ve always needed to push myself to find out my limits. And I believe in my country, so it seemed a perfect fit for me. The Rangers embody everything I believe in. Move farther and faster and fight harder than any other soldier. Never surrender, never leave a fallen comrade, survive and carry out the mission under any conditions.” Kate sighed heavily and turned her face into his shoulder, hiding her expression from him. Something about that sigh gave Matt a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He wanted to ask her about it, but by the time he reached the path leading to the house, Kate was asleep. Chapter 5Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlA town dreams of sweet thoughts while nestled in bed, Until nightmares of me begin to dance in their heads. “KATE.KATIE.WAKE UP, HON.”THE SOFT VOICEbeckoned Kate from layers of sleep. “You need to eat now, wake up.” Kate opened her eyes and stretched, blinking drowsily up at her sister. “Sarah. What are you doing here?” She pushed at the heavy fall of hair tumbling around her face. She always braided her hair before she went to bed, yet it was everywhere. She turned her head and went still. Matthew Granite was sprawled in a chair beside her bed, his silver gaze trained intently on her face. Her stomach did a funny little flip. A slow smile softened his tough features, lit his gray eyes, and stole her heart. “You’re finally awake. I was getting worried.” “You slept in the chair?” Kate couldn’t imagine his large body finding a relaxing position in her bedroom chair. “Well, I did want to share your bed, but I was worried about your sisters giving me the evil eye.” His smile widened into a teasing grin. “Jonas slunk out of here a couple of hours ago afraid even to drink a cup of coffee. He warned me one of you might slip an eye of newt into my coffee, so I thought it best to stay in everyone’s good graces.” “You like coffee that much, do you? Enough to stay in our good graces?” She couldn’t stop looking at him. There was a blue-black shadow along his jaw, and his clothes were rumpled, but it didn’t make him any less attractive to her